Pulling together opinion, analysis, interviews and features on the chartered accountancy profession, along with a focus on the key issues affecting accountancy and the world of business.

Accountancy Insights: Behind the numbers

In 2019, the UK was the first major government to commission a review into the economics of declining biodiversity. Here Philippa Kelly speaks with Thomas Viegas, economic advisor to the Review, about the implications for the finance sector.

The Economics of Biodiversity: what the Dasgupta Review means for business and the profession

ICAEW hosted Partha Dasgupta in 2014, early on in the debate on the economics of biodiversity.

Disregarded capitals: what (national income) accounting ignores

The BEIS consultation on audit and corporate governance reform proposes sweeping changes that will have a profound impact on the way corporate Britain operates. Why is this necessary now? What will it mean in practical terms? And is the timing right? Cosette M. Reczek, a Chartered Governance Professional with more than 30 years' experience and a member of the ICAEW Corporate Governance Committee, Janet Williamson, Senior Policy Officer at the TUC, and John Boulton, Director of Technical Policy at ICAEW, speak to ICAEW’s Managing Director for Reputation and Influence Iain Wright to find out more.

Audit and corporate governance reform: why now?

Trust in business and other institutions, such as Parliament and the press, has been declining for decades. How do we reverse the tide? Do the measures in the BEIS whitepaper set out a path to build back trust? In the second part of our corporate governance discussion, panellists Mala Shah-Coulon, associate partner at EY; Tom Gosling, fellow at London Business School; Andrew Ninian, director of stewardship and corporate governance, The Investment Association; John Odada, head of board and committees at BP; and Elizabeth Richards, head of corporate governance, ICAEW, talk trust with ICAEW’s Iain Wright.

The BEIS White Paper - part 2 of 2: How do we restore trust?

The BEIS whitepaper proposes replacing the current regulator, the Financial Reporting Council, with a new, more powerful body, the Audit Reporting and Governance Authority – ARGA. ICAEW’s Iain Wright is joined by a mega-panel of experts to discuss this proposal: Mala Shah-Coulon, associate partner at EY; Tom Gosling, fellow at London Business School; Andrew Ninian, director of stewardship and corporate governance, The Investment Association; John Odada, head of board and committees at BP; and Elizabeth Richards, head of corporate governance, ICAEW. Part one of two.

The BEIS White Paper - part 1 of 2: Is ARGA the regulator we need?

In this episode of Behind the Numbers, we explore what the history of money can tell us about its future.

Can history teach us anything about digital money?

Whether it’s performance or policy, there’s rarely an episode of The Tax Track that doesn’t mention HMRC. In this special episode we talk to one of the senior leaders at HMRC, Jonathan Athow, Director General for Customer Strategy and Tax Design.

The government’s stated priorities for HMRC are to modernise and reform the tax system, improve customer service and close the tax gap; Athow explains how HMRC intends to deliver on those priorities, and crucially, what this means for ICAEW members.

The inside track from HMRC

In this episode of The Tax Track, we look ahead to the 2024/25 tax return season, highlighting areas to watch out for, and explain our concerns with draft legislation for Finance Bill 2025/26 that promises to make significant changes to the tax system, particularly for agents.  

Tax returns and Finance Bill concerns

In this episode, we discuss how prepared organisations really are for cyber attacks, what to do if and when your business is affected, and how to manage the communications challenges.

How to bounce back from a cyber attack

ICAEW is a professional membership organisation that provides insight and leadership to the global accountancy and finance profession.